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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Young jewellery maker gets into the marketplace

LAYLA-Rose Sheldon, 11, loves doing art and craft at school, and has taken it upon herself to use her creativity and passion to make herself some pocket money.

Eleven-year-old jewellery maker Layla-Rose Sheldon with some of her creations… “I donate around half of the money I make to charities.” Photo: Lily Pass

Like any other 11 year old, Layla says she’s “never really liked doing chores”.

“I’m fine with taking the dishes out and putting them in the cupboard, but not scrubbing them, there’s germs,” she says.

So, at the beginning of 2022, Layla began selling her own handmade jewellery at market stalls around Canberra.

“I make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, keyrings and hairclips, and they’re made out of polymer clay, beads and charms,” she says.

She has also tried selling pins and badges for school bags, but found they weren’t as successful.

“I make the jewellery whenever I get a chance, Sometimes if I wake up early enough I make them before school, or I make them after school and usually on the weekends, apart from going to the markets.”

Before setting up a market stall, she looked into selling her products through online platforms such as Etsy and Shopify, but decided the cost was too high.

Now, her mum and biggest supporter, Elizabeth Trueman, supervises Layla’s market stall and “business” Instagram account: @bits_n_bob.s

“We’re booked in every fortnight,” says Elizabeth.

“The Gungahlin Rotary, they are so flexible and they’re really good, they just come around and collect your money. A lot of the others have a lot of paperwork, and for a little girl it’s just too much.”

Layla’s Instagram is filled with photos of some of her most favourite jewellery pieces, information on where her next market will be, and customers can send her a message to place custom orders.

Layla says she likes colours that pop, and has found necklaces are her most popular products.

“I’ve sold a lot of them. I have mermaid necklaces, fairy necklaces, and Tinkerbell and Elsa necklaces,” she says.

“I love art, I always have, I love craft, drawing and painting.”

Her other hobbies include “dancing, music, I used to be a cheerleader. I do gymnastics now and I like to sing as well.”

And, Layla’s doing her part to make the world a better place.

“I donate around half of the money I make to charities,” she says.

“I just did one for Ukraine for the orphans, and there was another charity that was for cancer. I try to pick small charities that haven’t got much money yet, because the small ones are also trying to help but they don’t really get any money.”

Part of the other half of her earnings goes towards materials to create more jewellery for the next markets, and the rest she keeps for herself.

“Usually I go straight after the markets if there’s a nearby store, like Kmart or Spotlight and dollar stores, so I can get more supplies,” she says.

She says her favourite pieces to make are the earrings and keyrings, and she finds the bracelets “fun but time consuming, because I make the beads for the bracelets”.

She is learning that every market can bring different results and different interests.

“It’s really weird for the different markets because obviously there were a lot of people that liked some things at one market, but not as much at the other,” she says.

“Sometimes I get grandparents or parents buying, but there were a few kids that really liked it and there were some teenagers that liked it, too.”

Her dad and brothers are proud of her, “they think it’s a good way for me to make money”.

“I’m telling Layla we might need to start upping the price by 50c, and it’s been really good for her maths,” says Elizabeth.

“I love meeting new people, and seeing the other stallholders makes me feel motivated and inspired,” she says. 

And her favourite part? “Jewellery making is therapeutic.”

Instagram: @bits_n_bob.s

Layla-Rose Sheldon’s bracelets.

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Lily Pass

Lily Pass

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